California Gen-Zers no longer care about social justice issues that were their top priorities in 2020, new poll shows
The survey, by non-profit organization Power California, included 1,890 Californians aged 18 to 30 and found that economic worries are now taking priority over social justice issues.
The cost of living and inflation have moved to the top of the list of young people's concerns, while issues like police brutality and protecting immigrants didn't even make the top five.
'It's not so much that young people don't care about social issues - because they very much do - [it's] because they're living paycheck to paycheck,' Saa'un Bell, the executive vice president of Power California, told SF Gate.
'[Social issues are] very important, but they're not the most urgent thing for young people right now,' Bell said.
Economic pressures are taking a severe toll on young Californians. According to the poll, 80 percent said the cost of living has outpaced their wages.
Nearly one in three respondents have been forced to take on a second job. Bay Area residents are most likely to work multiple jobs or side hustles.
The poll also revealed young Californians' reaction to Donald Trump's second presidency.
In the Bay Area, 70 percent disapproved of Trump's first 100 days in office while 59 percent said he has had 'a negative effect on the way things are going in California.'
More than half or 56 percent opposed Trump's recent punishment of universities.
But Gen-Zers are dissatisfied with more than just the Trump admin.
Only 51 percent of Bay Area respondents had a favorable view of the Democratic Party.
And 54 percent of young Californians statewide said the state was 'headed in the wrong direction.'
That is up six percentage points from last year.
The survey was conducted in late spring by Latino Decisions in partnership with Power California.
The political opinion firm has previously worked with Hillary Clinton's and Joe Biden's presidential campaigns.
Earlier this month, a string of polls revealed President Donald Trump was losing ground fast with Gen-Z, with his approval among young voters plunging to record lows.
The YouGov/Yahoo survey found Trump's net approval among Gen Z voters collapsed from -23 in May to a staggering -41 in June, with just 27 percent approving of his job performance.
A separate Quantus poll showed his Gen Z approval dropped from 46 percent in June to just 35 percent in early July, and an ActiVote poll found disapproval surged to 62 percent.
It comes just months after he made surprising gains in the 2024 election.
Experts said the sharp drop reflects frustration with Trump's handling of key issues like the economy, inflation and immigration.
On inflation alone, YouGov/Economist data shows his Gen Z approval sank from 32 percent to just 23 percent over the past month.
Trump had significantly narrowed the Gen Z gap in 2024, losing 18–29-year-olds to Kamala Harris by just four points.
A key part of that push was his teenage son Barron, who became an unlikely asset on the campaign trail.
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